53226 Milwaukee, WI Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 53226 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 53226 (Milwaukee, WI) is covered by Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $1,290 for a 1-bedroom, studio $1,180, 2-bedroom $1,540, 3-bedroom $1,900, and 4-bedroom $2,050. These are 40th-percentile gross rents (utilities except telephone), not live asking rents. Housing Choice Voucher payment standards are typically set between 90% and 110% of the applicable FMR/SAFMR.

Because this page uses SAFMR, nearby ZIPs in Milwaukee can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 35% above the US average of $959, and 48% above the WI state average of $872.

For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,290, that implies a household income of $51,600 per year (about $4,300/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $1,540 lifts that threshold higher still. ZIP 53226 has a population of 18,370 residents, so the gap between these FMR figures and local wages shapes how many households qualify as rent-burdened (paying more than 30% of income) or severely burdened (above 50%).